One of Rodolfo Berger’s clearest memories is lying on the floor in the AutoZone on Jackson Avenue the night of Sept. 7, 2022, and hearing a minister with a Cuban accent pray for his life.

From that, he knew he was both blessed and in grave condition.

His life now bears the dichotomy. He limps and no longer has the physical strength to be an auto mechanic.

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Instead, he diagnoses car problems for customers and helps in the kitchen at the family-run Fabiola’s Kitchen, located at 1353 Jackson Ave., the universe from which he now sees the world.

“To hold grudge or to hate is not in me. I’m just grateful to God to be alive,” Berger says against the clatter of dishes in the cafe founded by Fabiola Francis, his partner.

As the first anniversary approaches, the couple remember plenty of milestones, including three surgeries in 48 hours at Regional One Health to repair damage from the bullet that tore through Berger’s intestines in three places.

It is lodged just above his lower pelvis, too dangerous to move, a lasting weight to the night accused gunman Ezekiel Kelly terrorized the city in a shooting and carjacking rampage that killed three and injured two others.

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The bullet touches a nerve connected to the little finger on Berger’s right hand and most of his left foot. Both are numb. The affliction sometimes travels up and down his whole leg, throwing Berger off balance.

Berger was shot at about 6 p.m. while browsing at the AutoZone located at 4011 Jackson Ave.

He remembers commotion when the gunman entered the store and then the burn of the bullet entering his right side.

With a viciously bleeding wound, he used his face to open his phone and call Francis, who had just spoken to him and wondered why he was calling again.

When she called back, a stranger at the scene answered his phone, telling her Berger had been shot.

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“There was a church next door that was giving out food to help the homeless or people in need. They came running to AutoZone. They held him and prayed with him,” Francis said.

“To hold grudge or to hate is not in me. I’m just grateful to God to be alive.”

Rodolfo Berger

Meanwhile, Francis was speeding up and down Jackson Avenue, flashers on, trying to find the right AutoZone store.

“When I got to the store, there was already yellow tape up,” Francis said. “The police told me he had been taken to Regional One. They couldn’t tell me if he was alive or dead or what happened.”

She saw him at 4 a.m. in intensive care, the surgical wound, half the length of his torso, still open because surgeons hadn’t located the source of internal bleeding.

Berger has since made nearly a full recovery, which included months of home rehabilitation.

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He sees a doctor periodically for X-rays to see if the bullet is moving.

He hopes to work again, but there are no guarantees.

“He has the will,” Francis said. “He’s positive. He’s a fighter.”

Berger, who has lived in Memphis since 2010, is not only the face of the city’s crime statistics, but also the face of its skilled trauma surgeons, who this year expect to treat more than 1,400 gunshot victims at the Elvis Presley Trauma Center.

“That night was a night that stuck in my head,” said Dr. Peter Fischer, the center’s medical director, who early in the evening was scheduled to be the only trauma surgeon on duty that night.

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He quickly called in another.

“You are getting alerts from your family about what is going on. You’re trying to take care of the patients here,” he said.

He doesn’t always see the patients again, even the success stories.

Francis has been a Memphian since 1987, much of the time running Fabiola’s Kitchen, which includes her catering business, Simply Fabulous Catering.

For years, she ran the business in the First Tennessee Bank building. When she lost the lease during the COVID-19 pandemic, she found the empty storefront on Jackson Avenue and moved both enterprises in.

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By coincidence, Simply Fabulous Catering does business with multiple hospitals, including Regional One.

“Rodolfo has had the opportunity to come back, and everyone’s had the chance to see him. It’s been exciting just to see how well he’s done,” Fischer said.

Instead of ill will or anxiety, the two can’t believe the kindness that poured in from all corners of the city after the shooting.

Catering customers who knew Berger as the guy who delivered their orders raised money. Children from two elementary schools made cards and drew pictures.

“People I don’t even know sent messages. Others said I am coming to support your business because of this,” Francis said. “There are a lot of good people.”

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They have no intention of moving the business out of North Memphis or to a safer address.

“We’re here. We’re open. We love our customers,” Francis said. “There’s no room for hate. Life’s too short. Hate only brings more problems to you.”

Berger learned to play piano as a child growing up in Guatemala. He bought an old used piano years ago. It sits in the dining area at Fabiola’s Kitchen, an outward invitation to the city to come in play.

“Share your talents with us,” Francis says. “We want to hear people play and be happy.”

Berger is the example. He stopped Friday during the cafe’s busy lunch hour to play “Where Do I Begin,” the timeless theme from “Love Story,” a melody locked in his memory from the uncle who taught him to play.